CINCINNATI (AP) - Clint Hurdle and David Bell had little interaction while exchanging lineup cards one day after their teams fought on the field. Luis Castillo made sure there wouldn’t be much to talk about in the game that followed.
Castillo pitched into the eighth inning Wednesday, leading Cincinnati to a 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh. Both teams were on good behavior while their front offices wrapped up trades as the deadline approached.
“He was the right guy to have out there,” Bell said. “He was able to keep it quiet. It was really good timing to have that kind of a game.”
Most of the action was away from the field.
Both teams are awaiting word from Major League Baseball about punishment from their brawl during the ninth inning of Pittsburgh’s 11-4 win on Tuesday night. Bell, now-traded Yasiel Puig and two other Reds were ejected, along with four Pirates.
Bell went after Hurdle during the fight and was restrained in a headlock by batting coach Rick Eckstein. Bell repeatedly cursed Hurdle as he left the field. A day later, the two managers didn’t say much while handing lineup cards to the umpires.
Both teams hoped to avoid a second-day repeat.
“I think it’s squashed,” said Reds reliever Amir Garrett, who charged the Pirates dugout to spark the brawl and was ejected. “There’s no hard feelings.”
The NL Central rivals aren’t done with each other. They meet again at PNC Park on Aug. 23, and wrap up the season together with three games in Pittsburgh Sept. 27-29.
The series matched two teams that have faded, but only one of them is already looking to next year.
Puig went to Cleveland as part of a three-team deal for pitcher Trevor Bauer even though Cincinnati had slid to 7½ games out and trailed seven teams for the last NL wild card. The Reds also dealt starter Tanner Roark to Oakland on Wednesday for an outfield prospect and sent Scooter Gennett to the Giants for a player to be named.
The Pirates have gone 3-16 since the All-Star break, prompting them to deal starter Jordan Lyles to Milwaukee at the start of the series and Gold Glove left fielder Corey Dickerson to the Phillies on Wednesday.
“I’ve got great teammates here, had fun with these guys,” Dickerson said. “It kind of stinks to leave them, but also it’s an opportunity to play somewhere and they’re contending and just be a piece to try to help.”
The Pirates couldn’t muster much against Castillo (10-4), who recovered from his worst start of the season. The All-Star allowed a career-high six runs in a 12-2 loss to the Rockies on Friday.
Castillo gave up six hits and a run. Raisel Iglesias retired the side in the ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances.
“There was no room for error with Castillo,” Hurdle said. “That may be the second-best changeup I’ve seen in a Reds uniform, Mario Soto having the best. That’s some kind of pitcher.”
Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez homered off rookie Dario Agrazal (2-2), who lasted only 3 2/3 innings. Agrazal hit Tucker Barnhart on the foot with a breaking ball, and got Winker on the arm with a fastball , drawing boos from the crowd of 20,886. The umpires huddled after Winker was hit, but didn’t eject Agrazal.
DIFFERENT LOOK
Reds shortstop José Iglesias got his hair dyed dark purple after hitting a grand slam Monday night, making good on a promise to teammates. After he homered again on Tuesday, he got it dyed again, showing up with a burnt orange shade for the final game of the series.
GREAT PLAYS
Iglesias went up the middle to get Kevin Newman’s grounder in the fifth inning, did a 360-degree spin and threw him out. Reliever Michael Lorenzen pitched the eighth inning, moved to right field in the ninth and made a lunging catch on the warning track.
BAD NUMBERS
During their 19-game free fall since the All-Star break, the Pirates have led only four times after the fifth inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Hurdle said none of his players was hurt in the brawl.
Reds: Reliever David Hernandez was activated off the injured list and took Puig’s roster spot. Hernandez had been sidelined by shoulder fatigue.
UP NEXT
Pirates: After a day off, Pittsburgh opens a six-game homestand against the Mets on Friday.
Reds: Anthony DeSclafani (6-5) opens a four-game series in Atlanta. Bauer is expected to join the Reds there, although he hasn’t yet been slotted into the rotation.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Please read our comment policy before commenting.